


Firelight

by Limitless_Musings



Category: Hakuouki, InuYasha - A Feudal Fairy Tale
Genre: Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Fake Marriage, Familiars
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-30
Updated: 2019-06-29
Packaged: 2020-05-30 21:44:46
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,841
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19412005
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Limitless_Musings/pseuds/Limitless_Musings
Summary: Myths can be more than just old folktales.





	1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own jack!

_Summary:_ Myths can be more than just old folktales.

_Pairing: Okita/Kagome_

_Suggested Listening:_ Boadicea by Enya

_**Firelight** _

**Chapter One** :

Kagome combed her fingers through silver fur. The animal gave a slight huff. It turned its snout, pinning an unusually sharp set of golden eyes upon her.

"What?" She queried, dropping her hand from its head down behind its ears. "Don't you go complaining. We've got enough to deal with even without your fussing."

The canine gave a voiceless bark—just a slight huff of wind. She glared at the creature.

"Absolutely not. I _told_ you charging in head first was a bad idea, but did you listen to me?" So perhaps she was egging her companion on a bit too much. A heavy paw came down on her head in retribution for her nagging. "Hey, that's not nice." She shoved it off with a brush of her hand.

Kagome froze at the sound of heavy footsteps. That was right, she wasn't alone here. She sat up, tucking her hands close to herself. How could she forget? She'd been investigating rumors of demons terrorizing the streets of Kyoto at night. Needless to say she'd found the ones responsible. What she hadn't counted on was the fact that the _Shinsengumi_ was the one responsible for their escape. Now here she was, prisoner to a renegade group of men who had little to no qualms about killing her.

Her companion dropped his head into her lap. His fur bristled as his lips curled back in a sharp snarl. Someone was probably watching them from outside of this room. A man with a smile that reminded her of a fox had attempted to bind her hands, however her friend had snapped his fangs at him; preventing him from doing so.

She was used to people being afraid of him. Conversely she was also used to those who would try to kill him due to that fear. So she'd been surprised when the man abided by her request to leave her hands unbound. It was entirely possible that her friend had stirred up a primal fear in him but she couldn't count on that.

The door slid back. A man she had yet to meet stepped inside. He was somewhat older with a balding cap upon his head and a genial smile playing upon his lips. The canine's fur settled. He kept his head upon her lap; golden eyes following the newcomer with a sharp curiosity.

"I do apologize for the rough treatment, miss." He addressed her directly. "Do you think you can stand?"

Kagome patted her companion's forehead, "You heard him." He gave another voiceless bark then rose to all four feet. She followed suit, dusting off the stray bits of silver fur clinging to her clothing. "I take it that the others want an explanation?" It was the only logical reason as to why they'd take her back to their headquarters in the first place. If the existence of their demons was so important then they would've just killed her the second they'd crossed paths last night.

"Yes," The man gave her a wry smile. "Please follow me." So she did, her friend trailed after them silently. He kept his shoulder pressed into her side—forming a protective barrier between her and the man.

They made their way through a maze of open-air corridors. Kagome kept one hand upon her familiar's back. Her eyes took in the surroundings carefully. If they were going to escape alive then they'd need to know where they were going. The man stopped at a set of oversized sliding screens. She felt herself stiffen. Beyond those doors was the tale tell shifting of several signatures at once. This wasn't good.

"I've brought her."

"Come in." A voice she didn't recognize responded. The door slid back to reveal several men gathered in a u-shape. The two from last night peered at her—their eyes boring into her with a curiosity that felt unusually _sharp_. Her familiar's hackles raised once more.

"Easy," She whispered under her breath. "It's fine." Only he did not cease his growls. They grew louder yet, drawing the attention of those surrounding them.

"That's a serious hell hound you've got there." The fox-like man grinned at her. It was strange how disarming that smile was. "Just about took my hand last night."

The dog's growls grew more intense. She combed her hand through his fur in a soothing manner.

"His name is Inuyasha, and I did warn you that he doesn't take well to threats." By now she'd taken a seat at the center. Inuyasha sat on his haunches beside her. His head towered over her even like this. It'd be more apt to call him a wolf than a dog based upon his size alone.

"Yeah yeah, how'd you even get a thing like that? You steal it from a mountain?"

Now that was just rude.

Kagome sighed, "I've had him since I was born. But more to the point, you've got questions don't you?" She chose to redirect the conversation. The faster they go through this, the sooner she could be on her way.

"Heh, alright we'll do things your way. What's your name kid?" Emerald eyes settled on her in a way that made her shift uncomfortably.

"Kagome." She answered simply.

"What, don't have a surname?" He attempted to tease her. She closed her eyes.

"No, I don't." The words were more sharp than she'd intended, but that didn't make what she said any less true. Kagome was the only name she'd ever known. She never had the luxury of a family.

An awkward silence fell over the group. The wide grin that'd slanted over the man's lips dipped somewhat.

Another man, one she had yet to meet officially, spoke up, "What did you see?" There was something odd in the way he interrogated her. He was expecting an answer but the violent flash in his gaze gave her pause.

"Exactly as what you saw last night." She brushed her fingers through Inuyasha's fur. "I'd been investigating rumors of demons terrorizing Kyoto at night. At first I thought it might've been some sort of wild animal however we both know that's not the case."

The air grew thick. Tension snapped between them as if it were a living creature. She pushed onwards, "I don't know what you're doing with those things but you cannot allow them to run rampant in the streets." Kagome narrowed her eyes at them. "Rumors have already spread down to Osaka. Thankfully people are less inclined to believe in demons and panic like they used to, but this is becoming a serious problem."

"Toshi," A burly man addressed the violet-eyes on beside him. "Have they gotten that bad?"

Kagome closed her eyes.

"We've gotten reports that they're testing their luck recently." The man known only as 'Toshi' spoke. "Which will be coming to an end tonight." There was a threat in his words but she didn't pay them any mind.

"Do you at least have a contingency plan?" Kagome pressed on. "It only takes a moment for something like this to happen again. In a worst case scenario one of them escapes into a crowd and starts murdering at will. Do you have a fall back plan on how to handle the disaster that would fall to your reputation afterwards?"

She hadn't meant to put them on the defensive. By now the others had grown tense. They all stared at her as if she'd just pointed a sword at their throats. Perhaps her concerns had, had an opposing effect.

"A lot of talk coming from a hostage." The fox-like man set his disarming grin upon her. "It'd just be easier to kill her."

Truly, was death _always_ the first resort in these cases? Inuyasha snapped his fangs together. A low growl bubbled at the back of his throat.

"That still won't fix your problem. Killing me is only a temporary solution. I can guarantee you that eventually _someone_ will stumble upon their existence as well." She held her familiar back by bracing her arm around his back. "You need something to prevent them from escaping. Clearly they're weak to ofuda since that's what I used to subdue them last night." She reached into her sleeve, withdrawing a stack for their observation. "Have you tried using anything like this to keep them from escaping? Arranging for a monk to bless these grounds can be done easily."

The men shared an incredulous look amongst themselves.

"So you're saying that you purified them?" The grinning man started slowly, as if the idea were impossible to fathom.

She rolled her shoulders, "You don't questions those things' ability to exist, but my ability to purify them? You'd seen it firsthand yourself."

His smile slid away. The thought rolled over in his mind, turning the idea around as if it were difficult to process.

"There is some truth in what she says." This time a man with a stoic expression interjected. She briefly recalled him being there the previous night; however he hadn't spoken much. So at that time she'd chosen to keep her attention on the fox-like man.

"Saito, please explain." The burly one requested politely.

Saito nodded firmly, "Last night we were dispatched to handle the failed soldiers." Kagome was quick to note that he did not refer to them as anything other than human. "By the time we arrived we found her finishing them. She was not holding any weapon besides the ofuda. Plus," he set a pouch upon the ground before him. His fingers pulled at the drawstrings, spilling a finely ground dust onto the floor. "The bodies had been reduced to ash. Only clothing remained."

Kagome sighed, "If you wish I can do it again, however I'm not keen on killing."

"Souji," Saito directed his comment to the fox-like man. "There is merit in her concerns. We can test her claims on one of the failed soldiers. If she correct then it's possible to find a way to reach a compromise."

Inuyasha lowered his head onto her shoulder. His growls had softened but not stopped completely.

"You suggest I help you erect a barrier to keep them in." She had a feeling that this would be the end result. It wasn't too bad of a compromise. She'd rather they'd stop dallying in such forces but that was neither here nor there.

"You are correct." Saito confirmed. She glanced from one stern face to the next. Inuyasha was strong but his power along wouldn't be enough to defeat all of them. If she wanted to live then she'd need to abide by their requests.

Kagome rose to her feet, "Take me to them."


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own jack!

_Suggested Listening:_ Flowers by The Tech Thieves

_**Firelight** _

**Chapter Two** :

Okita folded his arms over his chest. He'd seen many things in his life. He'd grown accustomed to the blood thirsty imagery of their fury corps. He'd gotten used to seeing and dealing death first hand. What he had never witnessed before was something like _this_.

Kagome stood over the writhing fury. Its mouth was agape in agony. Ragged hands clawed at its chest.

"Blood, _I need blood_!" The voice was that of a soldier who'd been given the ultimatum earlier that day. Unfortunately for him, he'd lost all semblance of his humanity the moment he drank that serum.

Her canine posed itself between them. Its fur raised on all ends as a growl trembled from its throat. Okita wasn't afraid to admit that the creature was a bit intimidating. He had full confidence in his ability to deal with it should the need arise, however there was something about its _eyes_ that gave him pause. They were sharp and analytical—as if dissecting his every action before he could take it. His lips dipped downwards at the thought. That wasn't a pleasant notion.

"So they suffer from intense blood lust?" Kagome kneeled before the fury. Her azure eyes remained focused on its figure; observing carefully as it twitched and curled upon itself in pain.

"Yes, its an unfortunate side effect that we're attempting to eradicate." Sanan answered that time. His eyes glinted oddly behind his full moon spectacles. Now that was a man Okita could never get a good read on.

The woman shot it a pitying glance, "Very well. I'll do as you ask." She rose to her feet. A slender hand reached into the sleeve of her haori. She withdrew a single ofuda. Her eyes closed as she held it between her index and middle fingers.

Okita cocked his head to the side. Her lips were moving yet he could not hear what she was saying. Maybe it was some form of prayer?

" _Give it!_ " The fury rushed forward. Okita withdrew his sword in an instant. He posed the tip over his wrist. Then he stopped. His eyes blinked once, twice, before the scene processed. Kagome threw the ofuda square against its head. A piercing scream of agony filled the room, then silence besides the faint drifting of ash upon the breeze.

Kagome hadn't lied. Just as she said the creature was now purified. He shot a look towards Hijikata. What next?

"Not bad half pint," Okita broke the silence with a small joke. "But you got any other tricks to keep them in?"

Kagome met his gaze, "I can erect a barrier but it'd need to be kept up once every three months or so." The dog sat on its haunches beside her. Those same golden eyes bore into him. Okita fought to keep himself from staring back at it. He was not going to pick a fight with a damn _dog_.

"What's the verdict, Hijikata?" He sheathed his blade and leaned his shoulder against the wall.

The commander pinched the bridge of his nose, "Fine, erect the barrier but until this shit is settled you'll have to stay here."

Okita blinked, "How're we gonna do that? The guys are gonna be _real_ pissed if they think we're keeping a girl to ourselves."

"Not necessarily," It was Saito that time. "There is one condition in which a woman may be permitted on these grounds."

All eyes swiveled towards him owlishly.

"You mean marriage," Sanan finished.

The girl paled a little. She shook her hands and took a step back.

"Oh no, I couldn't impose." Her eyes darted between them in a nervous fidget. "I'll be willing to stay to ensure the barrier's upkeep but I couldn't put one of you in that sort of situation. Marriage isn't something to take lightly."

Okita wasn't sure if she was being honest or just really good at acting. He stared over at her curiously. Most people would've tried to escape by now. Maybe even gone on the attack. Yet here she was offering to help them out at no cost. She was a rare breed alright.

Saito continued with his explanation, "You wouldn't need to actively engage in marriage, only pose yourself as such. So long as the others believe you're the wife of a Captain, they will not question your presence too much."

A flicker of relief flashed in her eyes, "Ah, so you're talking about a ruse." She brushed her palm over the side of the dog's face. It leaned into her heavily, its eyes never leaving him. Okita felt the slight twinge of an instinct nagging at him. That thing was sizing him up. It was a strange realization. Maybe there was more to that dog than she was letting on. Perhaps its presence was why she'd remained so calm.

"Why don't you take up the role, Hijikata? You always were meek around women." He tried to liven up the atmosphere.

"Shut your fucking mouth, Souji. If anyone is in need of a wife it's you." The commander's lips curled upwards in a jeering grin. "Ah, that's right. Since you offered up the idea she can be _your_ wife." Hijikata focused his attention on her. "Kagome, right?" She nodded slowly. "This kid is an idiot but he's good at what he does. Listen to what he says and there won't be any problems. Attempt to run and he'll fucking gut you. We clear?"

"Perfectly." Her tone was more than a little dry.

The men began to file out one by one. Okita glanced blankly between their retreating forms and the woman he was now to call his wife. What the hell was he even supposed to say?

Kagome best him to the punch, "Where do you want the barrier?"

The kid didn't skip a beat. His mouth curled upwards, "Right this way."

* * *

"So your name is Okita Souji."

He nodded once.

"And you've been with the Shinsengumi since the beginning. You originally trained at Shiei Hall when you were a boy."

He nodded again.

"So _what exactly_ is our backstory? How'd we meet?" Kagome leaned on her palms towards him. Her eyes were sharp with curiosity as her canine companion lazed its head upon her lap. Damn, did that thing _ever_ leave her side. A triangular shaped ear twitched in his direction. Apparently not.

"You worked at a tea house and fell in love at first sight." He laughed at the scowl that marred her features.

Kagome shook her head, "That won't work! If that was the case then the guys would've noticed you hanging around a tea shop." Her eyes narrowed into thin slits. "How about this, we were from the same village and recently reconnected. Things moved fast and now I'm here."

Okita grinned. This was fun.

"Oh? Then what about the guys from Shiei Hall? They would've noticed if I had a girlfriend back then."

She flushed, "Ah this is so hard. What's something believable that we can use?" Kagome scratched at her head in frustration. He had to admit that she was rather cute. He could think of worse things then having her as his wife.

The ronin laughed, "Why stress about it? All we've got to do is sell the idea that we're a married couple. Just let the others fill in the rest."

After Kagome had slapped several ofuda on the Nambu House, she'd followed him back to his quarters to 'plan their history'. It was interesting how invested she already was in this little ruse they'd concocted. Not that he'd complain. It simply made his job that much easier.

"Yeah but if it's too mysterious then the whole thing falls apart." She sighed heavily. "Isn't there something we can compromise on?"

Okita shot her a placating smile. He had to admit that she was taking everything in stride. Any other woman would've either broken down in tears or tried fleeing by now. One thing was certain, she held little to no fear towards him. It was an unusual circumstance that he found himself in. His sole purpose was to observe this woman who did not fear his blade. She didn't seem naïve either—in fact it appeared that she more or less didn't _care_ about the prospect of death. Then again having a figurative hell hound at her beck and call likely bolstered her confidence.

"It'll be fine, just pretend to be a doting wife and no one will question it." Her lips pulled into a deep frown at his words. Sensing a protest beginning to form, he continued, "Plus I'll take care of it if people start asking too many questions. Just don't forget." His thumb flicked at the hilt of his blade. "Make one bad move and this sword will find your gut."

The canine snarled. It snapped its fangs and partially rose to its feet. Wild, violent eyes landed on him. It felt like he was staring straight into a mirror. There was a desire to protect above all else in that gaze. Okita has to remind himself that he was staring at a _dog_ , not a warrior.

Kagome wrapped her arms around the silver-beast. It settled but did not cease its growls.

"Easy, it's alright Inuyasha." She pulled him onto her lap. The dog's enormous figure virtually dwarfed her own. She kept her arms securely locked around its neck as if to brace it. "I'm sorry about him, he can be overprotective."

That wasn't the first time he'd heard her talking to it as if it were more than just an animal. She'd had what sounded like a full conversation with it earlier during her imprisonment. His brows furrowed. This girl was cute but odd.

Okita tilted his chin towards it, "So he's your pet or something?"

Kagome shook her head, "No. Inuyasha isn't a pet. I guess you could say that he's something like a familiar." He blinked. Familiar? He hadn't heard terms like that since he was a boy; back on the days when Kondou used to tell him old fairytales about youkai.

The young woman pressed on, "Inuyasha's been with me since the day I was born. He's not my pet because he's free to leave any time he wants to." A soft smile touched her lips. It was warm and caused him to pause. "Inuyasha is here because he _wants_ to be. That's all there is to it. He protects me from what he considers dangers but he can be rather excessive."

The ronin scratched the back of his neck, "So basically he's your hell hound."

Kagome laughed.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't own jack

_Suggested Listening:_

_**Firelight** _

**Chapter Three** :

Kagome trailed along the open corridors of the Yagi House. It'd been nearly a week since she'd arrived at the Shinsengumi. Rumors about her supposed marriage to Okita had spread like wildfire. With it so too did the crazy stories of how they'd supposedly met. She felt her face burn. The most common theory was that Okita had bridenapped her from a neighboring village and was now stashing her at the Shinsengumi headquarters to avoid her vengeful family.

Kagome shook her head. There were so many issues with that idea that she couldn't even begin to fathom how it might've started. Her eyes caught sight of the kamon dyed into the fabric of her kimono. She lifted her sleeve towards the light, observing it with a childlike sense of awe. She'd never had a family to call her own. No mother to hold her, no father to comfort her, not even a sibling she could run to. All she ever had was Inuyasha. The canine leaned into her leg. A faint whine rose up from the back of his throat.

She smiled, lowering her hand to scratch behind his ear. It was nice being able to say that she had a place to belong. Even if that meant being under house arrest for the time being.

"Speaking of, I should probably find Souji." She'd taken to using his first name at his request. It'd 'sell the idea' more if she were to act familiar with him. Her face grew warmer yet. This was all new territory for her. She'd never spent any sort of time alone with a man let alone been courted by one. How was this marriage thing supposed to work again?

Kagome paused at the sound of a blade cutting through air. She tipped her head in the direction of the sound. Could that be Okita? He was a dedicated fighter, so it was possible he was out in the inner courtyard practicing. She braced one palm on Inuyasha's neck as they made their way over.

Okita lounged over the lip of the engawa. He had his sword cradled in the crook of his arm as his leg hung off the ledge. He looked quite comfortable. At least in the way a cat is comfortable lounging across a sun-bathed engawa.

"Ah, there you are." Kagome made her way over to him. Okita blinked then a teasing smile pulled at his lips.

"Oh? I didn't think you'd miss me so soon." The light note in his tone caused her own mouth to curl up in a faint smile. He was a jerk but at least he had a sense of humor.

"Don't get too full of yourself. I just came out here to see if you needed help with anything." Her eyes slid towards his companion. Saito stood at the center of the courtyard. A thin sheen of sweat covered his face and neck, but he held his blade with poise. It was as if the heat didn't even bother him.

Okita glanced between them, "Is that so? Well we're good here. Unless you feel like watching." His smile grew wider. "We were just about to spar if you want to hang around."

Kagome slipped into a spot beside him. She opened her arms as Inuyasha quickly took residence upon her lap. The dog twisted his head in Okita's direction with a suspicious glance.

She began scratching at the space behind his ear to sooth him, "If you don't mind. It gets stuffy in that room." Since their ruse began, Hijikata had strictly ordered her to _not_ leave her quarters without an escort. It was tiresome to say the least. Okita had made a habit of visiting her after dinner and kept her company during the worst of it. She was sure that someone was constantly watching her even without his presence but she was grateful all the same that he'd taken time out of his day every evening to be with her.

It was from those conversations that Kagome was able to glean a few things about her new 'husband'. She learned that Okita had a strange way of showing kindness. He'd spend time with her yet litter the conversation with his usual threats upon her life. He was oddly obsessed with death. At least threatening others with it that is.

"Watch and learn half pint." He reverted to his preferred nickname for her. Kagome relaxed against the pillar her pseudo husband had just been using. The warmth of his body heat still radiated from the aging wood. She kept her eyes trained on his form. Okita was many things. Confident, arrogant and kind being the main components of his personality from what she'd grasped. Yet the men spoke of him as if he were gifted with the blade as well. She was curious.

Inuyasha snorted. He nudged his head further under her arm. Clearly he wasn't all that enthused by Okita's antics.

The man posed himself between them. She saw his legs shift into an even stance. He withdrew his katana and held it over the back of his wrist. She cocked her head to the side. She'd never seen such a stance before. Was it something Okita had created himself?

Kagome couldn't see his face but she could feel the tension thickening the air. Saito sank into an offensive stance in front of him.

They were still for a long moment. She hardly blinked before they started at each other with a speed she could barely comprehend. Inuyasha's ear flicked at the sound of metal clashing together.

Kagome sat riveted. The two pushed off of one another, their blades swinging in curved arcs towards each other. Saito attempted to strike at Okita's side but he'd seen through the attack. Okita shifted his stance to avoid the blow, thrusting the tip of his sword at Saito's throat. It was an intense showcase of skill and power.

She leaned forward as they stilled. Okita had the edge of his sword to his colleague's throat, whereas Saito had planted his firmly against his side. It was a draw.

They shifted away from each other. She grinned as her hands combed through her familiar's fur.

"That was amazing! You guys are pretty strong, huh?" She hadn't meant to boost Okita's already swelled ego. It was simply the truth. Her 'husband' strolled towards her. The length of his katana rested across his shoulders in a confident pose.

"Don't forget it either." The threat behind his words weren't lost on her. Kagome glanced down at Inuyasha. The canine settled his gaze on Okita's form intently. She'd fulfill her promise to the Shinsengumi. Regardless of the circumstances, she wouldn't go back on her word.

"Hey Souji," A tiny smile pulled at her lips. "Thanks."

He quirked a curious brow at her. The confusion written across his face caused a small laugh to bubble forth.

"What?" His question came out faster than what he could process.

Kagome started again, "I said thanks. Even if you decide to go through with your threats, you've still been kind. So for that I am grateful."

Saito peered between them. He also appeared just as stumped at her proclamation as Okita.

Kagome gave her familiar a quick pat, "Anyways I should see if they need any help in the kitchen." Inuyasha eases off her lap—allowing her to rise to her feet. As she turned to leave she cast her 'husband' one last grateful smile.

"See you tonight."


End file.
